One Year to the Day

So this is it, my one year "surgiversary!"  

One year, 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes...however you measure a year, so much has changed for me during that time.  My whole life has changed actually. 

I’ve lost so much - 158 lbs to be exact. And I’ve gained even more. Renewed health, strength, courage, determination, knowledge, relationships, experiences... This road has not been easy. I am not done. Sometimes I am my own full time job and taking care of myself is exhausting. But I keep doing exactly that - working on being the best possible version of ME day in and day out.  I am here and healthy and LIVING life. 

I pack my lunch and take my vitamins and drink my water and get enough protein and log all my food.  I meet or exceed my minimum step goal every day.  I go for bike rides with my son...I can keep up with him.  I can show my students how to do squats without sounding like I’m imitating a vacuum cleaner.  I get to the end of my "have to" list and still have plenty of energy left for whatever "want to" items I choose.  And that’s another thing - I can choose!  I’m no longer limited by where I can sit, whether or not I will fit, how tired I will become, whether or not my knees, ankle or back will hurt too much trying to get where I’m going.  My life has unfolded like the soft petals of a flower after a rain storm.  I am not perfect, my journey is not perfect.  I get down and I still feel self conscious in my own skin at times.  But I am so much more now than I used to be.  Physically so much less and mentally, emotionally, spiritually so much more.  

To be fully living and eagerly anticipating my life.  That is not something I could or would have said a year...two years ago. I didn’t even fully realize it back then but I was not immersed.  I was getting through the days, biding my time.  Sometimes I wasn’t even able to do the things I wanted to do.  Then my health crisis happened and I finally got sick and tired of always being sick and tired so I decided to do something about it. 

To say that was a good decision would be a vast understatement.  That was truly the best decision I have ever made, hands down.